"Is she really … your granddaughter? Is she someone else in disguise? "
The crowd fell silent. Everyone was so shocked that they were rendered speechless. Unable to hold himself back any longer, the old man turned to Elder Bai Ye and asked.
He had long known about Bai Ruanqing's situation. Even if she had learned two new sword arts, there was no way she could have been so powerful!
Yet, even Liu Yulian was killed with a single strike …
Did this not mean that Bai Ruanqing already possessed the strength to enter the top three of the core disciples?
The top three of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion every single time was renowned throughout the history of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.
It took less than half an hour for Bai Ruanqing to climb all the way up from the seventeenth position …
"It seems like it …"
Elder Bai Ye shuddered in frenzy as well.
Even though he had guessed that his granddaughter had received I Am Low Profile's teachings, he still found it hard to believe that she would be able to reach the top three with just two moves.
After Liu Yulian was defeated, the second ranked core disciple took the initiative to step forward.
His strength was roughly on par with Liu Yulian's, so under Zhang Xuan's guidance, he ended up being struck in the head and killed on the spot.
"The number one core disciple is called He Jingxuan. He's the grandson of the First Elder, He Tian!"
"This duel is probably going to determine who the number one core disciple will belong to!"
"Even if Bai Ruanqing is the number one in the Ethereal Hall, her true strength shouldn't be that of the strongest. After all, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has suppressed one's cultivation here. I heard that He Jingxuan has already reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm, just a step away from reaching High Immortal!"
"Bai Ruanqing has also reached the Heavenly True Immortal realm. As long as she surpasses He Jingxuan in terms of swordsmanship, given Elder Bai Ye's standing, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to raise his cultivation to the Heavenly True Immortal realm within a short period of time, right?"
"It's indeed much easier to achieve a breakthrough within the same cultivation realm than to achieve a breakthrough within the same cultivation realm …"
…
Seeing that He Jingxuan was the strongest core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the crowd immediately lowered their voices.
If He Jingxuan were to lose as well, it would mean that the entire core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be wiped out.
"I'll bet with you as well …"
He Jingxuan glanced at Bai Ruanqing calmly.
"Thank you, Senior He!"
Bai Ruanqing nodded as she raised her sword and said, "Let's begin!"
"Un!"
Taking a deep breath, He Jingxuan moved his sword and took a step forward.
His footwork wasn't fast, and his sword moves didn't look fancy, but it gave people a feeling of being sealed, as if they were facing a black tortoise that couldn't be pierced or cut open no matter how hard they tried.
"It's the Spirit Tortoise Sword Technique!"
Someone recognized him.
"The Spirit Tortoise Sword Technique focuses on defense. It looks like even Senior Brother He is wary of his opponent's flying sword …"
"How can I not be afraid? He never misses. Once he makes a move, his head will be pierced. Who can block that?"
"That's true. In any case, the only thing that awaits me is death …"
…
There was a lot of discussion.
Although the Spirit Tortoise Sword Technique mainly focused on defense, no one said that He Jingxuan was weak. Instead, they felt that this move was used extremely well.
In a battle, face and honor were secondary. Only by winning would one have dignity. If one attacked immediately for the sake of face, it would be very easy for one's weakness to be used against them. In the end, only defeat was possible.
Seeing how the other party's swordsmanship was no different from that of a tortoise, Bai Ruanqing panicked.
Don't know how to attack?
How could they win?
Just as Bai Ruanqing was feeling conflicted, her Senior Uncle's voice sounded once more. "Have you killed a tortoise before?"
"This …" Bai Ruanqing did not reply.
Even though she had never killed a tortoise before, she had heard of it from others.
"You need to use food to lure the other party's attention. After that, you need to think of a way to deal with it swiftly," Senior Uncle continued.
Uncle-Master's voice continued, "The situation in front of us is the same! If your opponent wishes to defeat you, he'll have to take the initiative to attack. Thus, you need to use yourself to lure the other party's attention. Once the other party attacks, it'll be the best time for you to strike … I've already taught you the principle, but whether you can achieve victory or not is up to you now! "
"Yes …"
Bai Ruanqing nodded in realization as gratitude filled her eyes.
She knew that this was the training that her Senior Uncle had given her.
He had already taught her how to defeat her opponent. If she could not do it, even if she won the championship, it would only be a matter of time before someone else snatched it away from her!
And as long as she succeeded, her swordsmanship and mental fortitude would soar by leaps and bounds. She would truly become an unstoppable force!
It was just like how Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship couldn't compare to Ye Gu Cheng's. Although he was strong, he couldn't be considered the number one. However, after killing Ye Gu Cheng, his attitude changed. As time passed, he truly became the Sword God of a generation, invincible in the world.
This was the situation that she was facing.
Her Senior Uncle had been guiding her all this while, so even if she were to win, she would have to rely on him. She felt that she had not won with her own strength, so she desperately needed a victory of her own.
She needed to confirm her swordsmanship!
Sou!
Knowing that her 'Senior Uncle' was doing this for her, Bai Ruanqing did not waste any time and dashed right toward He Jingxuan.
"Is she … feeding her sword with her own body?"
Elder Bai Ye narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
Since Zhang Xuan was able to see through He Jingxuan's flaws, as one of the Three Grand Elders, he was naturally able to do the same as well. However, he did not think that his granddaughter would be so decisive!
Charging right at He Jingxuan was no different from using herself as bait. The slightest carelessness could cost her life!
"Previously, I thought that your granddaughter was only able to win because she had learned a bizarre swordsmanship. Even if she were to reach the top three, it wouldn't be her true strength. But now … I think that I have misjudged her!"
The old man said with a bitter smile.
Ever since the sixteenth place, Bai Ruanqing had been using the same move over and over again. It was either a horizontal push or a sword throw … There was no technique involved at all.
Even if Bai Ruanqing were to become the champion, she would not have won his acknowledgement.
Yet, Bai Ruanqing was able to see through the other party's flaws with a single glance, not fearing death at all. Just this in itself was enough to show that her comprehension of swordsmanship had reached a profound level.
Huhuhu!
While the two of them were chatting, the situation on the dueling ring suddenly changed. He Jingxuan seemed to know what Bai Ruanqing was up to, but he chose not to attack. Instead, he slowly retreated.
From the looks of it, he knew that Bai Ruanqing was waiting for an opportunity to strike, so he did not give Bai Ruanqing any chance to strike at him.
"Not bad …" Zhang Xuan remarked.
Taking this sight in, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.
To be honest, Bai Ruanqing had done a good job, but He Jingxuan was also very powerful. It was no wonder why he was able to become the champion.
At this very moment, it was as if he was a patient hunter, waiting patiently in the bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill his opponent in a single strike!
If it had been Zhang Xuan in Bai Ruanqing's place, he would have resorted to violent means to force Bai Ruanqing to reveal an opening before launching a counterattack. However, Bai Ruanqing's offense was lacking, so she could only wait patiently like Zhang Xuan.
This was no longer a battle of swordsmanship, it was a battle of patience.
Bai Ruanqing had tested the other party's strength for more than a dozen moves, but the other party refused to make the first move no matter what.
She had never been a patient person, and with so many people watching her, she was already on the verge of exploding.
"Right at this moment …"
Seeing that Bai Ruanqing was getting more and more agitated, He Jingxuan's eyes lit up in agitation. All of a sudden, he made a move, and his sword shot forward.
It was as if a cheetah pouncing on its prey, moving so swiftly that it was impossible to see what was going on.
"He's coming!"
Bai Ruanqing gritted her teeth as she shot her sword forward.
She did feel a little anxious, but she still remembered her Senior Uncle's words and waited patiently for the other party to make a move.
Puhe!
While He Jingxuan's sword struck her chest, her sword pierced right through He Jingxuan's head.
Padah!
He Jingxuan, dead.
Bai Ruanqing, dead!
Both sides had suffered great losses and perished together!
"You're still too weak …"
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
He had already explained the battle strategy, so he thought that the other party would be able to emerge victorious. Who could have thought that … it would only end in a draw?
How embarrassing!
It was fortunate that she wasn't his student, or else he would have slapped her to death.
It was a pity that he didn't stand a chance this time around.
In contrast to Zhang Xuan's frustration, the crowd below fell silent. Everyone was so shocked that they were rendered speechless.
Clearly, they found it hard to believe that Bai Ruanqing was actually able to come to a draw with He Jingxuan.
"Congratulations! You have a great granddaughter!"
Watching as the two figures on the dueling ring dissipated into specks of light, the elder clasped his fist and said.
"Hahaha! She's the one who has been enlightened recently!"
Elder Bai Ye exclaimed gleefully.
For his granddaughter to be able to come to a draw with the number one core disciple, his face was filled with pride.
"You're indeed powerful, but … it's inappropriate for you to lose all of your Sword Pavilion Coins in a bet. If word of this were to spread, your reputation would be tarnished! "
The elder said.
It's fine if it's just a duel, but you still want to gamble?
That's so embarrassing!
You're already one of the Third Grand Elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so you should give some to your granddaughter.
"This … I'll teach her a lesson when I get back!"
Elder Bai Ye nodded.
"Old Master, I'm afraid that it's already too late to teach her a lesson," Bai Feng said.
Elder Bai Ye was taken aback.
Indeed, if he were to teach Bai Ruanqing a lesson, news of this matter would have already spread. By then, even if his granddaughter were to come to a draw with the number one core disciple, she would still be criticized.
"I'll deal with it right now!"
With such a thought in mind, Elder Bai Ye stepped forward and said, "Everyone …"
Everyone's eyes immediately focused on Elder Bai Ye.
"Bai Ruanqing was only joking when she said that she would win all of your Sword Pavilion Coins. Her motive was to ensure that everyone would give it their all so that you would be able to execute your strongest moves in order to ensure that the duel would be fair!"
Elder Bai Ye said with a smile. "Since it was just a joke, I'll drop the bet right here. There's no need to be nervous …"
"Drop the bet right here?"
But before Elder Bai Ye could finish his words, a displeased voice suddenly sounded. "Do you think that we'll drop the bet just because you said so? Who do you think you are? "
Elder Bai Ye frowned as he turned his gaze over, only to see a young man walking over.
"I'm just an ordinary disciple, and I feel that Bai Ruanqing is of the same mind. May I know who you are?
Seeing that the other party was not giving him any face at all, Elder Bai Ye was just about to reveal his identity when he hesitated for a moment. However, he eventually decided against it and asked doubtfully.
He was an elder, so it would be best for him not to reveal his identity. Otherwise, his reputation would be tarnished.
"I am 'I Am Very Handsome'! I'm Bai Ruanqing's best friend, so I'm speaking her mind, "Elder Bai Ye replied.
Zhang Xuan nodded. "Since you want to make a bet, you should pay up. If you don't want to pay up, that's fine too. Let's see if my sword will agree to it or not!"
You want me to give up on the hard-earned money?
You must be joking!
If anyone dares to tell me to give up, I'll beat the crap out of you!
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